“Chris is an accomplished anchor who is already an
established name in morning television, as well as a widely
respected investigative journalist. What I love about Chris is
that he is passionate about every story he tells, never forgets
about the viewer, and represents the type of journalism that
makes CNN great.”

Cuomo also released a statement of his own:

“This is a fantastic opportunity to do what I value the
most and hopefully to do the work that I do best. While it’s very
difficult to leave ABC News, a place filled with people I have
loved working with for many years, I am excited about my future
with CNN.”

Cuomo, the brother of New York
governor Andrew and the son of
ex-governor Mario "will have a major role in a
new CNN morning show and across the network, anchoring and
reporting on major events," reads the release.

Cuomo’s contract with ABC is was up for renewal and he was apparently
eager to make the jump to cable if the offer was right, reports
Deadline.

And according to a NY Post insider, Zucker was eyeing Cuomo and has been “looking for
an anchor he can basically make the centerpiece of the
network.”

The former "Good Morning America" host will co-host a
new morning show on CNN.Getty

“Look, Jeff has this brand he
has to respect and grow but he’s walked into a situation where he
could change out every single talent on his network right now,
everything and everyone is up for grabs and he’s going to start
with the morning show,” a person with close knowledge of the
situation at CNN tells Deadline. “Frankly he wants to upgrade things
and he has a wish list and Cuomo fits into that
perfectly.”

Cuomo, 42, served as the news anchor on "Good Morning
America" from 2006-2009 before moving to co-host "20/20"
alongside Elizabeth Vargas and act as the ABC News Chief
Legal Correspondent.